Improvement in grain-cleaners



E. MANTZ.

Grain Cleaner. No. 41,519. Patented Feb. 9, 1864.

fr r.

anomcesnucnncro LDKO u. Femm ammmgnpmf. wmaxgamn, n

` To all when@ it' may concern:

. i UNITED 'STATES PATENT `j OFFICE.

,y EMANUEL MANTZ, oF FREDERICK, MARYLAND.-

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-CLEANERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 l ,519, datedvFebruary 9, 1864.

Be it known that I, EMANUEL MANfrz, of

-r the city and county of Frederick, in the State of Maryland have invented a new and Improved Machine for Cleaning Grain', and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description ofl the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, mak- .,ing part of this specification, in which- Figurel is a plan or top view of my improved cleaner.` Fi-g.v2 is avertical longitudinal section of they same, taken in the line no, Fig. l.

.Fig43 is a'vertical transverse section of theV saine in the line'w w, Fig; 2. Fig. lis a vertical transverse section in the line a: Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection in the line y y,

. Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a-horizontal'section in the line z z,`Fig.-2. y

Similar-letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

. The object of this invention is to produce a' `machineof simple and cheap construction by which the operation 'of cleaning wheat and other grain and separating therefrom smut, screenings, stones, dirt, &c., may be more thoroughly and readily performed; and to this Aend the invention consists, first, in a novel manner of separating the loose dust from the fwheat or grainat the commencement of the cleaning process by the action of the fan; second, in an improved construction of rubbing or cleaning apparatus'provided with a peculiar- -ly-formed mouth-piece,': to be hereinafter de'- scribed; third, `in adevice for 'regulating the force ofthe currentof air generated by the action ofthe fan; fourth, in means for oper? .ating the screen;` fifth,in a provision for preventing any accident which v,might arise from the `existence of an undue vacuum Iwithin the fan-case. -In order that others" skilledin' the art to operation. v

V'In the accompanying drawings, A. may repy resent various parts of a frame in which the several'operating members of the machine are supported. v

Y"B represents a circular casing in Whicha lfan, C, is adapted to rotate, said fan being keyed upon a shaft, C', which is journaled iu I cross-pieces D D. The cross-piece "D has its bearings in oppositesides of a rectangular box, E, which is open at both ends and erected upon the casing B, directly over the fan, vand communicates with the interior of said casing through an Vopening of corresponding size formed in the top thereof. i

.Upon the upper end ofthe shaft C is formed an eccentric, c, which at each revolution of the fan forces outward an arm, F, which' arm works through an aperture in the side of the box E, and is jointed at its outer end to a lever, F', which is fulcrumed at f, and connected at its upper endto a screen, G, by means of a spring, g, which draws 4theV screen inward, or in the kopposite direction fromthat in'which itis forced by the eccentric c, acting through the arm F and lever F.` By these devices a regular reciprocating motion is imparted to the screen G.

H represents a. casing within which, Vthe rubbing apparatus works. This `apparatus `consists of a suitable series (say three) of disks, I I I, secured ,upon and revolving with `a shaft, J, and studded with sharp-edged projections fi, which may be formed of hard wood or other suitable material, and inthe edges of these disks a number of radial metallic scrapers. t" t, are set. Y

The rubbers or disks I may be adjusted upon the shaft J by means of set-screwsjjj, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, in order'tov submit the grain to a more or less vigorous rubbing, as the condition of the grain may render needas shown in Fig. 6, for allowing the grain to p'ass down the interstices from one disk t0 another. The studs upon the disksl I may gradually diminish in number from the upper to the lower, as` the grain will of course need less'rubbing after each `successive passage of the disks.

A portion of the casi-ng in which 'the rubbers operate is formed by a perforated -tin separator, K,'throughvwhich the dust separated fromthe grain is drawn, as will be hereinafter described.

Below this separator K is located a mouthpiece, L, through which the cleaned grai'n is vdischarged from the lower rubber; "This mouthpiece is constructed with a number of radial passages, as shownfby dotted lines in Fig. 6, in order to limit the quantity in which ful. The interior of the casing H is corrugated,

ment of the rubbers.

M M represent uprights secured to the framing of the machine at the end where the mouthpiece L is located, (one being situated on each side of said mouth-piece) and boarded up at their outer edges, as shown at M. Upon the inner side of the uprights is secured a secondary tin separator, m, which rests against the pieces N N, placed one at each side of the separator K, and is designed to form an even or regular surface in the passage O, which passage will be hereinafter more particularly referred to. v

P represents an inclined table or door situated beneath the screen G, and provided with a series of tubes, P P P, through which the grain, after passing from the screen G o'nto the inclined table P, iiows into a trough, Q, onto an inclined conducting table, Q', and thence into the casing H at the hole h.

Q2 representsa bottomless trou gh,with which the trough Q communicates, as shown at q, and

which constitutes the primary separating-place while the machine is in operation. p

P2 may represent the floor of the chamber S, through which-the greater part of the refuse is conducted to the fan-case E, the top of the said chamber being formed by the table P. The iioor P'l is provided .with an aperture, p, through which the screenings or heavier part of the refuse may fall and be received into a suitable receptacle placed beneath. To regulate this I employ a sliding gate, T, by which the force o f the current of air in the chamber S may be increased or lessened, as desired. This gate maybe adjusted by a thumb-screw, t, or otherwise.

U is a small swinging door hinged on the inside of the box E, and adapted to be kept open while the machine is in operation by the pressure of the atmosphere from the outside.

This serves to prevent any accident occurring in consequence of the powerful rush of air that v would be occasioned by the continuance of a vacuum within the chamber E.

V may representa hopper.

The fan H is designed to be rotated at a very high velocity by a band (shown by red lines in Fig. 2) from the pulley J on the shaft J, working upon a pulley, C2, on shaft C.

Operation: Power being applied to the shaft J, the wheat or other grain to be cleaned is allowed to iow from the hopper onto the screen G, which, being reciprocated in the manner described, separates the grain from any large stones or gravel which may be mixed therewith, and causes the grain to pass through onto the table P, whence it passes `to the trough Q through the tubes P. Meanwhile the fan O, being swiftly rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows vbetween its wings, causes a strong current of 'air to rush in an upward direction through the chamber QZ, and another andv somewhat stronger current up the passage-Way O. Consequently, as the grain emerges from the trough Q. all the loose refuse isseparated therefrom and elevated till caught by the current from the passage O, which, with the assistance of the current from the chamber Q2, carries the refuse across the chamber S, whence it is conveyed through the box E to the fan-case B, from which it is expelled through the mouth B. The blast or current of air may be so regulated by the gate T that as the refuse is passing through the chamber S the screenings or heavier matter will separate therefrom and fall through the opening p. The grain is conducted by the inclined table Ql to the interior of the casing H. Here the grain is subjected to the action of the entire series of rotating rubbers, passing from the higher to the one next below, between the corrugations on the interior of the casing H,

in `which act it receives an additional rub from the scrapers i. Owing to the current which passes up the passage O, the casing H is being continually vacated and replenished by the air which passes out through the separator K and in through the disk H', whereby the dust, Src., as fast as rubbed from the grain, is expelled from the casing H, when it is carried up the passage O, through the chamber S, box E, case B, and discharged at the mouth D. From the lower rubber the grain passes equally out at the mouth-piece L, and any little dust which may pass out therewith is carried off by the current in the passage O, which may extend somewhat below the said mouth-piece.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new and desire `to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In combination with the fan C, the box E, provided with the door U, chamber S, troughs Q and Q2, conducting-table Q', and air-passage O, all constructedy and arranged in thc manner described, to separate the loose refuse from the grain previous to being submitted'to the action of the rubbers.

2. In combination with the above parts, the rubbing apparatus H H I I I t', constructed and operated as described, and employed, in connection with the perforated plates K and m and passage O, to carry'off the -dust as fast as rubbed from the grain. y

3. In a machine constructed as specified, the mouth-piece L, arranged as described, for limiting the discharge of grain from the rubbers I and causing it to enter thefpassageway O in a quantity equally distributed therein. j

4. The combination of the eccentric c, arm F, lever F', and spring g, all arranged as described, to operate the screen G, as set forth.

' v EMANUEL MANTZ.'

Witnesses:

J As. MURDocH, J. M. HARDING. v 

